The Way We Went to Brandon Mountain

[litljortindan]

We had two honeymoons in 2006 -one in the Faroes and one in Ireland. One of the walks we did was around Brandon Mountain, my second visit here -the first having been a trudge in the rain in 2002. This time the weather looked more promising.
We followed what I suppose is the tourist route into the main corrie. It is apparently possible to do the east ridge as an "airy scramble" but we were just there for the views and not keen on a venture into the unknown.
Early views over the bay and beach to the east were great and to the west we could see that the cloud was staying off the hill.
We wend our way into the corrie beneath the east / south east ridge and followed the yellow painted arrows across he corrie floor and on up to the zig zags that lead onto the summit ridge.
Hamish Brown at least once mentioned Brandon Mountain as his favourite. It is certainly a fantastic place to be and the walking is in fact very easy. We visited the north east end of the summit ridge then doubled back and set off for the main summit. From there the scene is dominated by the Atlantic to the west and the subsidiary ridges to the east and south. We had been lucky with the weather, as we would be the whole week. A week, in fact, of solid rain apart from the three times when we went walking.
On our way down we made an error in cutting off east too soon, down an inviting looking path. This actually leads to private farmland as we later discovered so if you go there make sure you go all the way round the southern corrie edge.

As a backdrop to our stay in Ireland we had the novelties of the Euro, numerous wayside statues of Mary, signposts on to which it seemed anyone and everyone had added their location and gently lilting radio ads with hundred mile an hour "terms and conditions" end bits. We also managed to get stopped by the Garda as we followed a car into the bus lane near the airport motorway exit -a car that then put on its police lights. I think that as soon as we said we were flying to Aberdeen we were ok...

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https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=brandon%20mountain

[simon-b]

That looks like a nice climb, LJT. It's a long time since I've been to the Dingle Peninsula, but I remember Brandon Mountain looking impressive from the north coast.

[ChrisW]

Lovely stuff litljortindan, 2 honeymoons eh.....most folks would onlyhave the energy for 1 ............

[Phil the Hill]

Nice to see a report on what's one of my favourite mountains too. I've done it twice now, and always seem to lose the path on the approach and end up picking my way between rocks in the bottom of the valley. Maybe I'll do that interesting-looking East ridge next time!

[litljortindan]

Thoroughly enjoyed the photos. I did Brandon Mountain by this route several years ago in thick mist and didn't get any view at all. Do you know Hamish Brown's story about what the locals say about Brandon Mountain. - On a clear day you can see America from the top. - But you never got a clear day. You had a clear day but I bet you couldn't see America.

I'd forgotten that but must have read it in his account in Classic Walks. I notice he also commented that at the time he'd had more wet days there than dry out of a dozen visits.

[litljortindan]

That looks like a nice climb, LJT. It's a long time since I've been to the Dingle Peninsula, but I remember Brandon Mountain looking impressive from the north coast.

I found it a very uplifting place to be. Easy walking and really spectacular views. Plus, you can get a really good pint at the bottom!

[litljortindan]

Lovely stuff litljortindan, 2 honeymoons eh.....most folks would onlyhave the energy for 1 ............

Ah yes those were the days! Well we got married for the grand sum of £48 so there was plenty left in the kitty for a bit of travelling. That is what honeymoons are for isn't it?

[litljortindan]

Nice to see a report on what's one of my favourite mountains too. I've done it twice now, and always seem to lose the path on the approach and end up picking my way between rocks in the bottom of the valley. Maybe I'll do that interesting-looking East ridge next time!

Brown in Wilson and Gilbert (1982 p267) recalls that the east ridge "left no room for error". That was in wet conditions though so probably straight forward in the dry!

Reference
WILSON K. and GILBERT R. 1982 (eds.) Classic Walks Diadem Books Ltd., London